Imagine that, 1896.
Those times were a period of big changes in Japan, when everything Western was considered advanced and good, including eyes that had the folded eyelids of the Westerners (most East Asians have a monolid).
People still hold Western beauty standards to women in East Asia, including big eyes, high noses, and big breasts. This has given birth to a multi-billion dollar plastic surgery industry.
I sometimes see plastic dolls walking down the street and think to myself, "Do they think that's beautiful??"
source: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/06/south-korean-high-schoolers-get-plastic-surgery-for-graduation/277255/